Three key principles of BlackBerry application design

Informed

Active people rely on their BlackBerry® devices to keep them informed and up to date. Make sure that status, notifications, new information, and frequently used actions and content are easily accessible.

Keep important information, such as status, visible so that users don't have to look for it.

Keep menus short and put infrequently used items in
options.

Balance the information density on
each screen.

Don't place frequently used items at the bottom of a list or out of
view.

Confident

Make users confident in the information that they receive when they use your application. When users know the status of information, such as when a message is sent, they can feel confident that the application is doing what they want.

Keep all information and options for a required
task visible.

Provide clear, concise information that helps users perform tasks.

Give users the freedom to explore by allowing them to undo and redo actions.

Provide feedback when the application performs
what users request.

Don't allow dead ends. Users should always have a route
forward or an alternate way of interacting with the application.

Help users recognize, diagnose,
and recover from errors by suggesting a solution.

Create Help that is easy
to search, focused on user tasks, and lists concrete steps.

Approachable

Create applications that users are willing to use
and try right away. Clean and organized layouts, appealing
aesthetics, minimalist design, and reduced complexity make applications more approachable. Since a wide range of
people use BlackBerry® devices, design your application to cater
to both experienced and inexperienced users.

Make screens, layouts, and information
easy to understand so that users can learn the
application and get started right away. Use real world
concepts and metaphors to make your application
easier to understand and learn. Handle complexity using progressive disclosure so that users are not
overwhelmed. Making the application look great and
easy to understand gets people using it.

Simplicity

Create a simple design that allows users to find what they want
quickly and easily.

Reduce the number of steps that users need to take to achieve their goals.

Communicate clearly using concise, unambiguous labels and commands.

Place the most frequently used tasks on the screen. Include additional tasks in
the menu or on subsequent screens.

Present information as users need it.

Aesthetics and minimalist design

Avoid visual clutter. Limit the use of color and use
consistent geometry. Chunk large amounts of information by grouping similar information.

Use animations and graphics to enhance user understanding and support the metaphors in your application.

Accessibility

Include accessibility requirements to support users
with visual, hearing, or motor disabilities or impairments.